Investigating Self-Care Practices in Nursing Students From a Holistic Nursing Perspective: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Using the holistic nursing perspective as a guide, this study aimed to explore nursing students’ self-care practices in Indonesian nursing educational institutions. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: Nursing students enrolled in undergraduate programs across 13 institutions in Indonesia were recruited using proportionate stratified random sampling. A total of 1,071 students participated in an online survey. Data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics. Findings: Overall, students took care of themselves. Self-care scores were highest in the emotional and spiritual dimensions, while physical self-care was lowest. Students’ self-care practices differed significantly based on their age, self-care education, self-care perception and health status. Educational background, self-care education, self-care perception and health status were all significant predictors of students’ self-care practices. Conclusion: Indonesian nursing students demonstrated satisfactory scores in the total Integrated Health and Wellness Assessment, but strategies to support students’ positive self-care practices beyond their nursing education should be established, alongside a focus on self-care dimensions that scored low. Centrally regulating nurse self-care education could ensure uniformity in curriculum integration and maximize long-term benefits for nursing students, the profession and the healthcare system in general.